Nuclear plant output falls to 10.3%

Another nuclear reactor was set to shut down Friday, leaving just five in operation nationwide with a generating capacity of 5,058 megawatts, or 10.3 percent of the atomic total.

Shikoku Electric Power Co. was to shut the 566-megawatt No. 2 reactor at its Ikata plant in Ehime Prefecture on Friday night for regularly scheduled maintenance, Akira Hirai, a spokesman for the utility, said by phone. The unit was scheduled to completely stop generating electricity at 11:50 p.m., he said.

After the unit is shut, Shikoku Electric will have no reactors in operation. No date has been set to resume power output at the plant.